Jacketed valve



g- 25, 1959 J. L. DICKERSON ET AL 2,900,995

JACKETEDVALVE Filed April 20, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS N L. DICKERSON ROBERT H. HERRING- Aug. 25, 1959 J. L. DICKERSON ETAL 2,900,995

JACKETED VALVE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 20, 1953 JOHN L. DICKERSON ROBERT H HERRNG Br I W ATTORNEYS 1959 J. L. DICKERSON ET AL 2,900,995

JACKETED VALVE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 20. 1953 N w: T S N m mg H R o 0 .J R mm 7 \m m 6 m L m mmn w uL United JACKETED VALVE Application April 20, 1953, Serial No. 349,592

8 Claims. (21. 137-340) The present invention pertains to valves in general and more particularly to steam-jacketed plug-valve bodies.

In the general field of application of valves for controlling fiow in fluid systems, it is frequently necessary to maintain the material handled, for example, liquid sulfur, paraflin, tar, asphalt, and the like at an elevated temperature in order that the material will remain in a fluid state. It is particularly important that such liquids be maintained completely fluid while passing through valves in order that the valves may be freely operable at all times.

The invention will be described in its preferred embodiment as applied to lubricated plug valves, but it is to be understood that it may be applied with similar advantages to other types of valves, both lubricated and non-lubricated. Broadly, the invention contemplates the provision of a jacket for conducting steam or other suitable temperature-control mediums around the body and stem of the valve to which it is applied and also provides for an efiicient method of fabricating a valve with such a jacket. The jacket will be herein referred to generally as a steam jacket but, as mentioned above other heating mediums may be used or, if the specific application requires, a coolant may be circulated through the jacket.

Accordingly, it is one important object of this invention to providea novel, jacketed, flow-control valve.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel jacketed valve housing structure which may be easily and inexpensively fabricated by casting and welding. A still further object of the invention is the provision of an improved cast jacketed valve housing structure which simplifies core setting and assembly, provides good venting of the jacket core and'facilitates cleaning of the casting.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved cast jacketed valve-housing structure which simplifies casting procedures by allowing the setting of inside body core prints independently.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel jacketed valve body which combines an easier casting design with fabricated welded parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel valve-stem jacket ring which may be clamped to the valve body by means of and in conjunction with standard valve parts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following description and the subjoined claims in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a jacketed lubricated plug valve according to a'preferred embodiment of the invention; "Figure2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the valve taken on line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 isasectional view of the valve body taken on line 3 -3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a top plan view partly in section taken on 3 atent 2,900,995; Ic Patented Aug. 25, 1959 2 line 4-4 of Figure 2 with portions of the valve cover ring broken away to show underlying structure;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the cover ring taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view of the cover ring taken on line 6--6 of Figure 4 and showing a fragmental section of the upper valve body.

Referring to the drawings and first particularly to Figures 1 and 2, a tapered-plug lubricated valve body 10 comprises a main body casting 12 and a cover ring 14. The body casting 12 has inner walls 15 defining coaxially aligned flow passages 16 spaced by and communicating with a frusto-conical bore 18 that has its axis normal to the flow axis through passages 16. At the extreme ends of passages 16, walls 15 terminate in radial flanges 20 for sealingly connecting the valve in fluid communication with the system (not shown) in which it is used.

Bore 18 is formed with vertically spaced annular bearing surfaces 22 and 24 for rotatively receiving a tapered plug 26. These bearing surfaces are provided with annular grooves 27 and 28 which register with similar grooves 30 and 32, respectively, on the plug valve surface.

Valve plug 26 contains a through passage 34 which, by rotation of the plug, may be brought into alignment with passages 16 to fully open the valve as illustrated in Figure 2, or turned at right angles thereto to close it. Means, hereinafter to be described, are provided to limit the rotation of the plug to between fully open and fully closed position.

The bottoms of the plug 26 and bore 18 are formed and spaced to define a chamber 36 to which chamber lubricant under pressure is selectively supplied to jack the plug from seats 22 and 24 for distributing lubricant to the seats and for rendering turning easy in the event the plug should become stuck as by corrosion or caked line material. A vertical bore 37 is provided in the stem 38 of plug 26 in constant communication with a diametral passage 39 which opens at opposite ends into the upper ends of diametrically opposite longitudinal grooves 40 (one shown in Figure 2) that extends down into lower groove 30. The surface of plug 26 also has diametrically opposite longitudinal grooves 41 (one shown in Figure 2) which are located on opposite sides of port 34 from grooves 49 and at opposite ends terminate short of both grooves 3t and 32. A series of dwarf grooves 42, 43, 44 and 45 are provided in the valve seats for connecting grooves 30 and 32 with the opposite ends of grooves 41 in the fully open and fully closed positions of the plug. A channel 46 is provided between groove .30 and chamber 36.

At its upper end bore 37 is threaded at 47 to receive a fixedly located one-Way check valve 48 and an adjustable so-called lube screw 49. In practice, with lube screw 49 removed, a stick of lubricant is placed in the bore and screw 49 turned in the threaded portion 47 to force the lubricant through the check valve into bore 37, passage 39, grooves 40, groove 3t), and channel 46 to chamber 36 in the fully open and fully closed positions of rotation of the valve plug. Any required number of lubricant sticks may be inserted, the check valve maintaining the pressure built up below it when the lube screw is removed.

In the fully open plug position of Figure 2, dwarf groove 42 connects passage 39 with annular groove 32 and grooves 4l connect grooves 30 and 32 by means of dwarf grooves 44 and 45, and when the plug is rotated 90 to fully closed position dwarf groove 44 connects passage 39 to groove 32 and longitudinal grooves 41 are connected to grooves 30 and 32 by dwarf grooves 42 and 43. Thus all of the seating surface grooves of the plug and body are connected to provide a continuous groove 1 frame of lubricant about the inner ends of passages 16 in the fully open and closed positions of the valves, and the grooves 41 which are exposed to the line fluid when the plug is rotated between its fully open and closed positions are disconnected and cut off from the source of lubricant under pressure except in those fully open and closed valve positions. This is conventional lubricated plug valve structure and except in combination is not relied upon in this invention. 9

Cover ring 14 is secured to the top of body casting 12 by means of a plurality of stud bolts 52 rigidly upstanding from the casting, which bolts pass through suitableholes 54 (Figure 4) in a flange 56 on the bottom of the cover ring and through similar holes (not shown) in a cover plate 58. Nuts 60, threadedly mounted on the upper ends of stud bolts 52 bear on plate 58 and clamp the ring 14 against the body casting. Preferably plate 58 is a standard cover plate usually used in nonjacketed valves, and this structure makes possible the use of standard parts in the new jacketed valve structure.

Valve stem 38 extends through central aperture 62 in the cover ring with suflicient clearance to allow the insertion of a packing which preferably consists of a metal ring 64 and a pair of compressible packing rings 66 separated by a metal lantern ring 68.

The packing bears on a resilient metal diaphragm assembly 70 comprising a stainless steel ring 71, an asbestosring 72 overlying and of the same size as ring 71,

a and an asbestos ring 73 underlying the outer portion of ring '71. When nuts 60 are drawn tight, the diaphragm 7% is clamped between flat annular faces '74 and 75 on the body and cover ring respectively. A gland follower ring 76 cooperates with a gland 77, adjustably secured to cover plate 58 by means ofa number of gland stud bolts 78 and gland nuts 80. A radial slot 82 is cast in the upper face of cover ring 14 and serves to drain off any liquid which may leak by the packing. When nuts 80 are drawn tight gland 77 forces follower ring 76 down to compress and thereby expand rings 66 into seal-. ing engagement with the surfaces of valve stem 39 and aperture 62, and to urge ring 64 against gasket 72 to thereby urge the smooth steel ring 71 against the fiat face of the top of plug 26.

As shown in Figure 6, plastic lubricating and sealing material is preferably supplied to valve stem and packing by rneans of a lubricant passage 84 extending through a wall of the cover ring 14 to annular grooves 33 and $5 of lantern ring 68, these grooves being connected by radial passages 8'7, and provided with an external pressure lubricant gun fitting 86.

Referring now to Figure 2, the upper portion of stem 38 is reduced as at $8, the reduced portion being provided with a pair of diametrically opposed radialribs 90 which ribs are located in the same diametral plane as the axis of passages 16 and coact with a stop or abutment 92 (Figure 1), provided on gland 77 to limit the rotation of the plug to the 90? spacing between open and closed positions. Rotation of the plug may be accomplished by any suitable means such as a tool or handwheel (not shown) applied to the tool engaging surfaces 94 on the upper end of the plug stem.

Substantially the entire valve housing is enclosed with a steam jacket as will now be described. The body casting 12 is formed of an integral structure comprising the inner walls 15, which define part of flow passages 16 and are depressed to form a well 95 that has a central threaded bore 96 in its bottom wall closed by a removable plug 97. The lower valve body seat 22 is inside well 95. Casting 12 also includes integral outer jacket walls 98 spaced from walls 15 and defining between them a steam or coolant space 99. These outer walls 98 are discontinuous, i.e., having an opening 100 at the bottom and terminating shortof the end flanges 20 to define annular outwardly opening recesses 101, which are annula penings i h terio o the c s os y ad jacent flanges 2t and entirely encircling passages 16. Intermediate recesses 101, the lower part of the casting is cored approximately /a of the way around the portions of inner walls 15 defining passages 16 and the bore 18, as best illustrated in Figure 3, thus providing substantially complete envelopment of the inner walls by the steam space 99 and allowing the setting of the inside body core prints independently. Furthermore, this construction simplifies core setting and assembly, provides good venting of the jacket core and facilitates cleaning of the casting;

Openings 102, one on each side of the outer jacket casting, are left in the casting by the core prints which permit accurate location and alignment of the core when it is set in position in the jacket mold. In the finishing operations these core print openings are closed by suitable means, for example, by tapping and inserting pipe plugs 104. The print for supporting the core which forms plug bore 18 leaves aperture 96 in the bottom of well which is similarly permanently closed by the threaded plug 97.

The recesses 101, or annular openings at the ends of the body casting are formed with annular shoulders 11!) providing locating and seating means for sheet metal cylinders 112 which are positioned thereon and welded around the entire circumference of the casting as at 114 to close the recesses. Preferably each cylinder 112'is a band of steel of suitable size bent around shoulders and has its sides welded to the casting and its opposite ends welded together to complete fluid tight outer closure of-recesses 101. The circular bottom opening 100 of the body casting is similarly closed by welding over it at 115 a cast steel cover plate 116 in spaced relation to well 95. Cover plate 116 contains a central threaded aperture 118 which normally serves as an outlet port, "as will hereinafter appear, to which is connected a pipe 119 There has thus been provided a novel valve body wherein a special casting is completed into a jacket struclture by welding onto the casting at easily accessible ex.- ternal points three elements, cylinders 112 and cover plate 116, which completely enclose the steam space 99 that, as shown in Figure 2 extends over the entire bottom of the body and includes recesses 101 completely surrounding passages 16, and as shown in Figure 3 extends up along the sides of the plug bore almost up to the top of the plug. l

Referring now to Figures 2, 4, 5 and 6, the valve cover ring 14 is formed of a separate casting having formed therein a continuous annular chamber 120 that Is elongated vertically and surrounds the valve stem.

The inner and outer walls 122 and 124 of the cover rlng are joined by two circumferentially spaced webs 126, one of which contains the lubricant'passage 84, as lllustrated in Figure 6. The webs do not extend the full height of chamber 120 so that the steam or coolantmay completely encircle the entire cover ring. At diametrically opposite points, cover ring 14 is provided with vertical bores 128 extending into chamber 120 and adapted to register with similar bores 130 in the body casting (see Figures 3 and 6) when the valve is assembled as already described, thereby allowing free circulatron of steam between the jacket spaces of the body and cover ring.

The valve cover ring is preferably cast by using a ring mold and a core supported by four prints which leave four apertures 132 in its walls as shown in Figures 4 and 5. These apertures are all threaded and three of them fitted with closure plugs 134, the other being left open for connection to a steam inlet line 135. I I

In normal operation, the steam or whatever heating or cooling medium is used, enters the valve jacket through line 135 and its associated port 132 completely encircles the valve stem in chamber .120, and passes down through the vertical bores 128 and 130 into the body jacket space 99 and exits through port 118 in the bottom of th va e body, s y n 19 ore um s e m to. a @9 densor, reheater or the like. If desired this circulation may be reversed, but where steam or other condensible medium is used it preferably exits at the bottom so as to drain condensate into line 119.

The construction described provides complete and thorough heating, or cooling as the case may be, of all parts of the valve structure. The body jacket (if a heatingfmedium is used) maintains the valve body and, consequently, the material flowing therethrough at an elevated temperature, eliminating the possibility of the material congealing or caking in and preventing operating of the valve, and also facilitating passage of normally sticky or viscous material through the valve which is usually a restriction in the pipe line. The cover ring jacket-in addition to heating the stem, heats the packing and lubricating mechanism, and thus insures that no material leaking by the packing will congeal around and freeze the stem. Furthermore, the valve structure disclosed lends itself to rapid and economical fabrication by means of simple casting and welding procedures.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a valve housing, a valve body having inner and outer walls defining a space therebetween and a plug bore with inlet and'outlet ports to the exterior of the body in fluid isolated relationship to said space, said plug bore having an end opening through said outer Wall, a valve cover on said body over said plug bore end opening and having inner and outer Walls defining a second space therebetween, conduit means in said body and cover connecting said spaces and means for introducing a fluid temperature control medium into at least one of said spaces.

2. A flow control valve comprising a valve body, a valve cover secured to said body and a flow control element rotatably disposed in said body, said body having spaced inner and outer walls defining a chamber therebetween, a pair of spaced annular openings in said outer walls adjacent the ends of said valve body, an additional opening in said outer walls at the bottom of said valve body, thin metal cylinders permanently'secured to said valve body in sealing relation over said annular openings, a closure member permanently secured to said valve body in sealing relation over said additional opening, said thin metal cylinders and said closure member providing auxiliary outer wall portions which, with said outer wall, enclose said chamber, and passage means through said outer wall enabling circulation of a fluid medium through said chamber.

3. In a valve, a housing having wall means defining aligned passages therethrough, pipe line attachment means formed on said wall means adjacent opposite ends of said passages, outer Wall means integral with said first Wall means and having a substantial portion spaced from said said first wall means and defining a substantial space therearound, said outer wall means terminating short of said attachment means, cylindrical plate means secured between said attachment means and the termination of said outer wall means to complete enclosure of said space, and means for circulating a fluid temperature control medium through said space.

4. A flow control valve comprising a housing with inner wall means defining a flow passage intersected by a bore having an openend, a ported plug rotatively disposed in said boreand having a valve plug operating.

stem extending from the open end of said bore, outer 6 wall means disposed around and connected with said inner wall means to define a space substantially enveloping said bore and completely encircling said flow passage, cover means closing the open end of said bore and having an aperture receiving said stem, said cover means defining a second enclosed space completely encircling and in fluid isolated relationship to said stem receiving aperture, a conduit connecting said spaces in the valve assembly, and means adapted to connect at least one of said spaces in flow communication with a source of fluid at a controllable temperature.

5. In a plug valve assembly, a body having a through passage for fluid flow intersected by a bore for rotatably receiving a plug, said bore being closed at its lower end by an inner body wall and beingopen at its upper end to permit passage of an operating stem, means including an outer wall spaced from said inner wall and defining a fluid chamber within said body substantially enveloping said bore and said passage, a. cover secured upon said body in surrounding relation to said stern, said cover having an inner and outer wall defining a continuous annular fluid chamber therein surrounding and isolated from the valve stem, a conduit connecting said chambers in the valve assembly, and means providing ports to each of said chambers for circulation of a temperature control fluid through said assembly.

6. -A jacketed valve comprising: a main body having an inner wall defining a fiow passage, with a bore extending through said body substantially transverse to the axis of said flow passage; a valve plug having a through passage disposed in said bore; stem means on said plug for moving said through passage into and out of registry with said flow passage to selectively permit and stop flow of fluid through said valve; said body wall having a pipe connecting portion at each end thereof with a recess disposed on the periphery of said body wall on each side of said plug between the plug and each of said connecting portions; said body having an outer wall surrounding and substantially enclosing a major portion of said innerwall defining a spacing between said inner and outer walls, with the ends of said outer wall forming continuations of said recesses; means secured to said body enclosing said recesses and interconnecting said ends of the outer wall with said connecting portions completely enclosing and sealing said spacing to provide a chamber substantially surrounding said valve passage; a cover member for said transversely extending opening surrounding said stem, said cover member having a continuous substantially annular passage; at least one port connecting said annular passage and said chamber to permit flow of fluid from one to the other forming a heat control spacing; and means for supplying and removing temperature control fluid from the heat control spacing formed by said passage and chamber.

7. In a fabricated valve body, an integral body cast ing having a through passage for flow of fluid intersected by a bore for rotatably mounting a flow control plug, said casting including a fluid tight inner wall defining portions of the lower part of said passage and an outer wall spaced from said inner wall to define a temperature control fluid space and having a bottom opening, externally opening recesses in said casting extending about said passages on both sides of said bore, annular members extending about the external openings of said recesses with welds securing said members to said casting to form with the recesses continuous annular temperature control fluid chambers about said passages, said outer wall being laterally apertured so that said chambers' are eflective extensions of the control fluid space between said walls, and a cover plate extending over the bottom opening in said outer wall with a weld extending around said opening securing said cover plate to said casting in fluid tight relationship.

8. "In a valve having a body and flow control plug rotatable in a bore intersecting a flow control passage in said body, said plug having a stem projecting from an opening at one end of said bore in said body, a cover for said opening apertured to pass said stem therethrough, said cover having an enclosed substantially continuous annular chamber with an inner wall closely surrounding said stern and having a port for connection to a temperature control fluid line, means for clamping said cover to the'body, and means for fluid tight sealing of the space between the valve stem and the inner wall of said cover without preventing rotation of the valve stem, said body having an internal temperature control fluid space and a port therefrom for; connection with a temperature control fluid line, and eoacting passages in said cover and said body interconnecting said annular chamber with said space..

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Bentley .1 Oct. 5, Forman July 10, Eglofi et a1. Apr. 28, Hodges Nov. 29, Lehman Oct. 8, Kinzie Mar. 9, Sitney Aug. 3. Mclnerney Dec. 29, Pote July 6,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain May 16, 

